COLUMBUS – Today, State Senator Sean J. O’Brien (D-Bazetta) announced today that the Ohio House of Representatives has unanimously adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 8, which urges the US Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to select Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center as the preferred site for a future East Coast Missile Defense System.

WARREN – Today, State Senator Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) praised the Brazilian government’s long-awaited decision to extradite Claudia Hoerig to the United States where she will stand trial for the 2007 murder of her husband, Major Karl Hoerig.

COLUMBUS – State Sen. Sean J. O’Brien (D-Bazetta) issued the following statement today after the state Controlling Board approved the release of funds to be used for the completion of improvements at three state parks in northeastern Ohio.

NASHVILLE – Today, State Senator Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) discussed infrastructure and the importance of the prevailing wage at the 19th annual National Alliance for Fair Contracting (NAFC) Conference in Nashville, TN.

COLUMBUS – State Sen. Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) announced the introduction of a concurrent resolution, introduced jointly with State Senator Steve Wilson (R-Maineville), which would designate 2018 as “Ohio’s Year of the Trails”. This concurrent resolution would encourage all Ohioans to take advantage of their local trail networks, facilitate the connecting of trail segments throughout Ohio, and pay tribute to everyone who works to maintain and enlarge the public amenities.

GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE – Today, the Ohio Propane Gas Association (OPGA) presented State Senator Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) with an award during their 69th annual summer convention in Geneva-on-the-Lake. The group recognized Senator O’Brien as their 2017 “Legislator of the Year” for his commitment to advancing the development and use of propane and other alternative fuels in Ohio.

Columbus- State Senators Sean J. O’Brien (D-Bazetta) and John Eklund (R-Munson Township) are pleased that the Ohio Senate voted 32-1 today to approve Senate Concurrent Resolution 8 (SCR 8). The Senators introduced the resolution to urge the United States Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to select Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center in Ravenna, OH as the preferred site for a future east coast missile defense system.

Columbus- State Sen. Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) responded today to the state biennial budget bill, Amended Substitute House Bill (Am.Sub.HB) 49, which passed out of the Republican dominated legislature today along mostly party lines. Among other things, the version of that bill that will now be sent to Governor Kasich for his stamp of approval includes more than $2 billion in tax breaks for wealthy Ohioans over the biennium, reductions in funding for local governments (LGF), and cuts to Medicaid that, according to some estimates, will cause more than 500,000 Ohioans to lose their health insurance beginning in 2018.

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Legislative Trails Caucus (OLTC) held its inaugural meeting last week in Columbus. The first of its kind in the nation at the state level, this informal group of like-minded state legislators from both parties and both chambers of the Ohio legislature is co-chaired by state Sen. Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta). It will work to advocate for all issues involving the development, maintenance, and preservation of all Ohio’s non-motorized trails.

COLUMBUS - State Sen. Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) introduced a concurrent resolution this week in the Ohio Senate urging the President of the United States, the US Secretary of State, and the US Congress to compel the nation of Brazil to extradite Claudia Hoerig to stand trial for the 2007 aggravated murder of her husband, Major Karl Hoerig. Also included in Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 6 is a request for the United States to terminate foreign aid payments to Brazil if Claudia Hoerig is not extradited.

COLUMBUS - Today, State Sen. Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) responded to the version of the state biennial budget bill, House Bill (HB) 49, that was proposed by the Ohio House of Representatives. Among other things, this version of the budget set to be voted on by the House cuts “all-funds spending” by roughly $2.5 billion for fiscal years 2018-2019, adds additional funding to the governor’s proposed budget for fighting the opioid epidemic in Ohio, and provides more funding for K-12 education.

Columbus- State Sen. Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) responded today to a deal reached between the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) and the soon-to-be defunct gas provider, Ohio Rural Natural Gas (ORNG). Under the settlement, northeastern Ohio natural gas customers who were previously told they would be forced to pay to switch to a different provider will be allowed to keep their current service with no additional charge or gap in service.

Columbus- State Sen. Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) announced today that his amendments to the General Assembly’s recently signed biennial transportation budget bill, House Bill (HB) 26, will re-name a highway and bridge after two Trumbull County citizens killed during the Vietnam War. Once the bill is enacted, the bridge spanning Meander Creek in Niles along state route (SR) 46 will be known as the “Sgt. Bruce R. Jones Memorial Bridge”, while SR 7 in Trumbull County between SR 82 and SR 62 will be known as the “Virginia E. ‘Ginny’ Kirsch Memorial Highway.”

COLUMBUS - State Senator Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) announced today the release of funds by the state Controlling Board to be used to purchase a new community home in Trumbull County. Released at the request of the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), capital appropriations totaling $568,626 will be released, with $225,000 of that money going to purchase a community home at a location in Trumbull County that has yet to be determined.

COLUMBUS - Today, State Senator Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) responded to Ohio Governor John Kasich’s annual State of the State address, held this evening in Sandusky, OH. Speaking after the address, the Senator expressed frustration with the Republican Governor’s track record on combating the recent opioid epidemic and state funding for education and local communities.

COLUMBUS - State Senator Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) announced today the release of funds by the state Controlling Board, at the request of the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), for the building of two new community homes in Trumbull County. In all, capital appropriations in the amount of $450,000 will be released to cover the cost of construction of the new facilities.

COLUMBUS – Today, State Senator Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) announced the release of funds by the state Controlling Board to be used for upgrades to a prison alert system at the Trumbull Correctional Institution (TCI) in his district. Capital appropriations in the amount of $16,580.84 will be released to upgrade the Man-Down Alert System at the correctional institution and ‘tie-in’ alarm sensors to 18 additional doors in highly sensitive areas of the Leavittsburg facility.

COLUMBUS – Today, State Senator Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) announced the release of funds by the state Controlling Board to be used for the initial phases of improvement projects at several Northeast Ohio state parks. Capital appropriations in the amount of $436,850 will be released to amend the contract with Feinknopf, Macioce, Schappa Architects, who will then conduct site-specific improvement studies at Geneva, Mosquito Lake, and Pymatuning State Parks.